The team at Connection Arts Space, collectively and clearly, want to say Black and Indigenous Lives Matter.
We are working internally to establish ongoing support for the Indigenous communities of our home base (Dandenong) and ensure our space continues to be welcoming of BIPoC (Black Indigenous People of Colour). Human rights and social justice have always been at the core of our objectives as an arts space, and we are taking this important time to reassess the part we play in anti-Blackness and racism.
The City of Greater Dandenong is also home to many BIPoC communities. We understand that many of these communities are victims of marginalisation, police brutality and incarceration. We extend our solidarity towards these communities.
We encourage anyone feeling overwhelmed by the situation to reach out to a friend, or seek mental health care. We all have a long road ahead of us to combat racism and anti-Blackness, and we should be good to ourselves in order to be the best allies we can be.
This includes remembering and honouring who’s land we’re on, and the benefits and virtues we receive from being on this land. Indigenous Australians remain to be one of the most incarcerated communities in the world. Of the 437 Aboriginal deaths in police custody since 1991, none of these deaths have resulted in a conviction and still there is no treaty.
If you are in a position to do so, we encourage you to donate to Pay The Rent a grassroots collective aimed at restitution for Indigenous Australians.
Sincerely,
Mohamed, Shariff and the CAS family
